82 



BIRDS UF AMERICA 



of throat distinct ; upper tail-coverts, white with dusky 

 bars or centers ; primaries, brownish-black, lightening 

 toward base ; entire under parts, white with large dark 

 brown patches on sides and flanks ; under lail-covcrts. 

 dark grayish-brown with white tips; tail, brownish- 

 black; bill, dusky horn color: feet, yellowish flesh 

 color ; iris, brown. 

 Nest and Eggs. — Little is known concerning its 



nesting; it is supposed to breed in a burrow on islands 

 of the north Atlantic, laying a single white or yellow- 

 ish-white egg. 



Distribution. — Atlantic Ocean, from Arctic circle 

 south to Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope; occurs 

 off the eastern coast of North America from June to 

 November ; occasionally visits the British Isles during 

 the autumn months. 



From the firm deck of a great sliip out under 

 the vast circle of the sky. surrounded by the 

 heaving, racing ocean swells, the heart sickens 

 at the thought of being left there alone. But 

 to the Shearwater this is home. It needs no 

 companionship and seeks none. On long slender 

 wings, extending some three feet, it goes on, 

 alinost ever on, upon its lonely course, A series 

 of rapid beats give it momentum for a prolonged 



Photo by H, K. Job Cuuntby of Outing Pub. Uo. 



GREATER SHEARWATER 



Off the coast of Massachusetts 



glide upon stiffly extended pinions, even into the 

 very teeth of the gale. Tipping to one side, the 

 better to trim sail, it skims along never to reach 

 a destination, for it seems always going, never 

 arriving. 



-Such is the rather large gray sea-bird with 

 white breast which we may meet from late 

 spring to advanced autumn well ofif our Atlantic 

 shores, hardly nearer than where land ap])ears 

 only as a distant haze. Though this is the most 

 common of our Shearwaters, few of our human 

 kind are privileged to enter its select social circle. 

 Deep-water fishermen know the birds well, call- 

 ing them "Hags" or "Haglets." Floating offal or 

 grease thrown from the vessel, especially when 

 anchored on the fishing-grounds, sometimes 

 draws quite a concourse. At such times they 

 can be enticed very close, and can even be caught 



with hook and line and be drawn squealing and 

 lighting upon deck, from the hard surface of 

 which they are unable to take wing. 



In calm weather they can be seen resting on 

 the water, and it is one of the few occasions 

 when they seem really social, sitting around and 

 chattering to one another. At such times they 

 take to wing with some difficulty, for want of 

 wind, and I have almost run them down by 

 steering straight for them. 



Their food, besides floating animal or vege- 

 table matter, consists of various marine organ- 

 isms, particularly small fish. The appearance of 

 a school of the latter will quickly, as though by 

 magic, draw a crowd, even though few or none 

 may have been previously noticed. They plunge 

 headlong into the water and flap about as though 

 mad, or else rem;un on wing and patter with their 

 feet over the surface. The frightened fish sub- 

 merge, and immediately each bird is oiT on its 

 lonely wanderings. 



No one has yet discovered the breeding haunts 

 of this singular creature, but they are undoubtedly 

 on some desolate Antarctic island where, in a bur- 

 row or a hole in the rocks, the female deposits 

 one large white egg, after the usual Shearwater 

 manner. The southern summer, when they nest, 

 is our northern winter. When nesting time is 

 over, and the only bond but death strong enough 

 to keep them quiet is relaxed, they renew their 

 roaming. Oceans are hardly wide enough to 

 circumscribe their energy, and thus, driven by the 

 returning wanderlust, they visit us during our 

 warmer months. 



The best places to find Shearwaters, as well as 

 the other " ocean wanderers," apparently are the 

 fishing " banks," where fishing vessels congre- 

 gate. I have found them in considerable numbers 

 five to ten miles or more southeastward off Chat- 

 ham, Mass., and oft' Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. 

 Fishermen report them abundant on Georges, 

 Grand, and other banks. Though seen from 

 May or June to November, the period of July 

 to September seems to represent the height of 

 tlieir season with us. Herbert K. Job. 



